Here We Go Again
by weknowit
Summary: Bella and Edward's romance fizzled out after high school. Will their 10-year reunion give them another chance? AH
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **It's probably obvious, but I don't own any of the Twilight characters or their related elements.

**Author's Note:** I hope you like it.

**Chapter 1 - The Invitation**

* * *

I snatched the phone up as it rang, balancing the receiver on my shoulder. "Hello?"

"So. Did you get it this morning?"

Alice never said hi anymore. Fashion Designing made her even more blunt and businesslike than she used to be. Plus she called me so often at work, I already knew her voice instantly. We'd stayed close after high school and got even closer when I moved to New York last year.

"Ali… I don't know what you're talking about." I swiveled on my chair, reaching for the stack of mail I picked up from my slot near the secretary's desk.

"The invitation, Bella." She sounded mildly irritated. Alice never liked to explain things more than once. "I got it in my mail this morning and I'm sure you did too. I mean, you were valedictorian after all."

I flipped absently through the mail stack, picking out the invoices and pitches I wanted to deal with in the morning. "Valedictorian? That was back in high school…"

But I trailed off. There it was. The white envelope with the Forks Spartans logo on it. And a bright red stamp diagonally across it: _2013 – Your 10-Year Reunion!_

"No no no no no." My stomach did a weird twist, and I tore the envelope open, scanning the details of the event. "No way, Al. I can barely cover my rent on what they pay me at the magazine. And there's no way I can take a four-day weekend off…."

"Don't be ridiculous," she said briskly. "You loved high school. I know you're dying to go. And don't worry, it's all taken care of."

I switched the phone to my other ear. "What?"

"I booked us plane tickets already." She let out a chuckle. "You don't need to thank me. We'll be in coach all the way. So now all you've got to do is get the time off work."

I fumbled for the words. "But I can't…"

"The reunion's in a month, so of course you can." Her keyboard clicked in the background. "OK, I gotta go. Rehearsals for tonight's show in ten. See you."

_Damn. _I put the phone down, my heart sinking. My boss wasn't going to like this. But I guessed I had no choice.

* * *

"God… I can't believe it took us twelve hours to get here."

I grabbed my bag out of the overhead compartment and walked unsteadily off the plane. Somehow Alice still looked fresh, pulling the handle out of her miniature carry-on case and dragging it behind her on its wheels. "I told you not to thank me," she said. "A four-hour layover in O'Hare made the coach tickets an even better deal."

I rolled my eyes. "Well, thanks for the heads up, anyway."

We followed the signs to our baggage carousel, blinking in the unsual bright Washington sunlight. I could see Dad standing there among the crowd with his hand on a luggage cart, his face already breaking out into his familiar smile. He always looked the same, except for a few more grey strands of hair every time I saw him.

"Bella!" He wrapped me up in one of his huge hugs. "And Alice! You look more beautiful every time I see you, Honey."

"Hi, Charlie." She hugged him warmly. "You look wonderful too. How's Sue?"

"Fine, fine," said Dad, beaming. Sue was my dad's wife and almost like a mom to me. They got married during my senior year and had been going strong ever since. "She's in the car right now, so you only get me to pick you up." He patted the cart. "So get your luggage, girls! I'm ready."

I laughed, kissing him on the cheek. "OK… I think I see mine coming there, actually."

I ran over to the carousel and grabbed the red suitcase by the handle. But it seemed heavier than I remembered, and I couldn't get it off. Bracing myself, I pulled harder. But this time, it was too hard. I got the suitcase off the carousel but stumbled back with its weight, bumping into someone walking by with another luggage cart.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa there."

There was something about that voice that sounded familiar. I turned around and looked into a pair of unmistakable green eyes. My knees suddenly felt weak, something I never knew could really happen outside of romance novels. It was… Edward.

"Bella?" He looked at me incredulously, that grin of his spreading on his face. He looked just the same… just a little bit older, a little more wear and tear about the face and the eyes. But he still stood straight and tall and strong, with that same mop of messy hair, and the same ability to make my heart do back flips just by looking at me.

He stared at me, definitely smiling now. "So… I guess you're here for the reunion?"

"Yeah," I choked out. My mouth suddenly felt dry. "You… too?"

"It's tough not to." He grinned.

A smile crept onto my face...Slowly, the memories of high school were seeping back into my head. Especially the ones involving… Edward.

"Are you staying at your dad's while you're in town?"

I blinked back to reality. He was looking at me warmly. I still felt dumbstruck. "Yeah, for the weekend while I'm here. I've still got the bedroom with the window facing the forest, right."

I clamped my mouth shut quickly. The bedroom with the window facing the forest? What the hell was I saying?

But he was looking at me with a slight wistfulness. "Yeah… I remember." Then suddenly it seemed as if he jerked back to reality too. He seemed disoriented, but he hadn't taken his eyes off my face. I felt my cheeks turning red. "Bella… I'm sorry. My dad's waiting… I've got to get my luggage and get out of here." He grinned sheepishly. "He's really excited. I don't know. But… I'll see you later, hey?"

He looked suddenly hopeful. I nodded. "Tonight at the dinner?"

"Definitely." He grinned again, his eyes lingering on mine for a beat, and then he turned to a different carousel, chasing his luggage down.

"Hey… was that…?" Alice's voice was suddenly in my ear. I turned to her, nodding silently.

"Well, you look all hot and bothered," she said, giving me a teasing look. "Maybe the twelve hours in transit was worth it after all."

"Nah," I said. "He's probably happily married with two perfect kids and a white picket fence somewhere. Edward the golden boy of Forks High always came out on top."

I pushed her arm jokingly, but somewhere inside… I kind of hoped she was right.

* * *

"So Bella… what happened with you and Edward anyway?"

Sue looked at me as I shut the car door behind me. We had just dropped off Alice at her parents' place. I knew Sue had been dying to ask since she found out Edward was at the airport.

"Well…"

I didn't know how to explain. We made it all the way through high school… and then he was at Northwestern, and I was at Seattle for my English Lit degree. It got murky then. I felt completely absorbed into a new world where he just didn't seem to fit. Our phone calls got farther and farther apart. We said we'd visit, but never did. Then he forgot my birthday the next year, and I didn't really mind. Eventually, I called him to tell him we were in different places, we needed to let each other go. He agreed, but I think we both knew we were already long gone.

But I had to admit… some sliver of me always thought about him. Through Seattle, through my grad studies at NYU, through the run of boyfriends I'd had since. Late at night, I'd sometimes dream about the time when we were together. His body against mine. The way he always made me laugh. His quiet confidence in himself… and in me.

I always woke up feeling safe and happy.

Sue looked over. "Was it a bad breakup, Bella?" Her hand reached for mine. "Really, you don't have to tell me if it's too hard."

"No, Sue." I shook my head, looking out the window. "Me and Edward… we just lost touch."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **It's probably obvious, but I don't own any of the Twilight characters or their related elements.

**Chapter 2 – The Dinner**

* * *

"Talk about cheap," Alice scoffed, reading the invitation in the seat beside me as I maneuvered Sue's car into the parking lot. "Having the dinner in the school gym. Couldn't we have gotten a hotel or something? They must have some tiny budget."

I laughed. "It kind of makes sense. High school reunion, have it in the high school."

She snorted. "Cleverly disguised cheap then. Blackmailing us into acceptance through a thick fog of nostalgia. The food better be spectacular, or I'm not buying it for a second."

"Why'd you even come if you're just going to ridicule all of it?"

Alice looked at me in disbelief. "Because I want to see how everybody turned out. Bella, I wouldn't have missed this for the world."

Rolling my eyes at her, I found an empty spot and parked the car. We got out, walking over to the building until we found ourselves in front of Forks High.

"Wow," I breathed, staring at the stone sign above the door. "This brings back memories, doesn't it?"

"Completely." Alice finally sounded kind of sincere. She looked over at me, her face vulnerable. "Are you really ready for this?"

I took a deep breath and nodded. "Let's do it."

Entering the school, everything seemed new but eerily familiar at the same time. Walking toward the gym, I felt myself flashing back to the moments I'd had in those hallways. That door was my English class. There was Emmett's old locker. That was Mr. Banner's room… where I first ran into Edward after that Christmas vacation.

Alice's hand plucked at my elbow. "Oh my God… look…"

We had reached the entrance to the gym. The doors were held wide open, revealing a softly lit banquet room with about twenty tables set up. If the bleachers and the basketball hoops weren't there, it would have really looked like a hotel ballroom. I gave Alice a told-you-so look. "And you thought they were being cheap."

Suddenly, we were both swept up in a hug. "Bella, Alice!" Letting us go, we could see Emmett smiling back at us. His hair still sprung forth in a curly mass, but it was shorter than it used to be. The grin, though, was as wide as ever. "This is crazy, isn't it? What a blast from the past!" he said.

I grinned at him. "Em, you look just the same! How have you been?"

"Never better," he said. "No more soccer though. I did a bit of college ball but after that I did my degree in physiotherapy. Sports medicine might be next… if the wife agrees." He glanced happily over to a stunning black haired woman sitting at his table.

He turned back to me, smiling delightedly again, and suddenly grabbed my hand and twirled me. My dress, a black wrap with silver thread shot through it, floated out at my knees, one of Alice's originals. "But Bella… you look amazing! Even better than you did in high school, if that was possible."

"Thanks," I said, stumbling slightly out of the spin. "Took years of plastic surgery though."

He stared at me for a moment in silence. I laughed. "Em… I'm kidding."

"Oh, right!" he said, his voice regaining its brightness. "And Alice. You look fantastic too. I heard you were in fashion designing."

"Yep, I've been working at Bloomingdale's for five years." Alice loved to talk about her job. "It's hard work, but you know me. I love it."

Emmett nodded in interest… then suddenly his eyes drifted to the door. He smiled brightly at us again. "Hey. Hold that thought. I've just got to say hi to someone…" He ran off toward the door, hugging a blonde girl that came in.

Alice poked me. "I don't know what I ever saw in him. I wish Jazz had come." Her husband, Jasper was attending a History conference in Europe. She suddenly gasped softly. "Oh my God, check out Rosalie…"

I looked over to see Rosalie walking towards us in high stiletto heels and a form-fitting pink dress. Her hair was done in the bouffant style, and even I had to admit, she looked good. She put her arms around me and pressed my shoulders to her shoulders delicately.

"Isabella Swan," she said, her smile a brilliant white. "Why, you don't look a day older than when I last saw you. And Alice." She did the same careful hug with Alice and then looked her straight in the eyes. "You look absolutely wonderful. What have you been up to?"

"I'm in the fashion scene in New York," said Alice, a little too quickly. I knew she was dying to find out about Rosalie's life. "And what have you been doing?"

"Well, you know." Rosalie waved her hand in the air and smiled mysteriously. "A little of this, a little of that. I mostly work in the charitable organizations around Forks now when I can spare a moment." She laughed. "I'm married to Royce King, you see. Our two little boys take up most of our time."

I could feel Alice pinching my elbow again. Royce King was one of Albuquerque's most successful businessmen. He owned the four biggest car dealerships in town.

"That's great, Rosalie!" Alice sounded over the top fake, but Rosalie didn't seem to notice.

But I started to drift out of their conversation. I could see Edward sitting at one of the nearby tables… and he was looking at me. I felt myself blushing—he wore a green shirt that matched his eyes and grey pants, effortlessly handsome. But he suddenly looked away as he saw my eyes fall on him. And I quickly tore my eyes away and turned back to Alice.

Rosalie, however, had already tottered off somewhere else. And looking at Alice, I knew she had seen me looking over at Edward. Without warning, she moved quietly behind me, then shoved me in his direction.

_Thanks a lot, Alice_, I thought. Yelping, I skidded on the floor, almost falling over my high heels as I stopped just before him. "Aaaahhh…"

"Hey." He reached out to steady me and smiled. "Looks like you're always falling into my path, Swan."

My heart twinged. He used to call me by my last name in high school. "Yeah," I said, sitting down in the seat beside him. "Just lucky, I guess?"

"I guess so." He grinned, turning slightly toward me, as if to say something more. But before he could speak, a familiar voice boomed out through the speakers in the gym.

"Students! Could I have your attention please?

Old Mrs. Cope was standing at a podium at the front of the gym.

"Welcome back to Forks High!" she said proudly. A round of applause went up from the audience. "We are delighted to host the 10 year reunion of the class of 2003 this weekend. Tonight, of course, is the introduction dinner where you can get to know your classmates all over again. Please find your seats, everyone. Each of your names is at one of the place settings." She leaned closer to the microphone. "And the sooner we get ourselves organized, the sooner we can eat."

People started to rush around. I stood up, grinning sheepishly. "Well, I guess I'd better find my seat."

He nodded, and it looked like he swallowed hard. "Right."

I walked around to the other tables. Alice was seated next to Emmett and his wife, and looked just as thrilled to be there as I thought she would. But I didn't see my name at the place beside hers. I looked around the room, and realized most of the seats had been taken…. except the one I had been sitting in beside Edward.

He watched me as I walked back over. There was my name in front of the plate.

"Welcome back," he said, smiling.

I sat down beside him and laughed, feeling like an idiot. "Well… I guess I didn't need to go that far to find out where I needed to be."

He folded his arms, wearing a crooked smirk that used to drive me wild… and really, kind of still did. "Not at all, Swan," he said. "Not at all."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **Not mine, never will be.

* * *

**Chapter 3 – The Escape**

There were eight people at our table and it turned out Eric and Jessica were two of them. I knew they had dated for awhile in high school, but they wound up just being great friends. They'd gone to college together and now had a sort of elevated brother-sister kind of relationship. For most of dinner, Jessica kept telling us stories about the crazy things she and Eric had gotten up to in our years apart, and then the two of them would hoot and holler, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

"Like this one time, oh my God…" Jessica nudged Eric, smiling. "So me and Eric were in Barcelona and it was our last night in town. We were trying to find a mailbox at like 4am. Our flight was in less than three hours. But I'd promised to send my sister a postcard from Spain. I had the card, and the stamp, and everything. Just no mailbox."

"Wasn't there one in the airport you could use before you flew out?" I said.

"Bells." Jessica looked over at me as if I were stupid, then she and Eric burst out laughing again. "I didn't say we were _sober_!"

Well, I didn't think she was sober right now. But I grinned and shrugged at them, pretending to be apologetic. Jessica and Eric didn't notice. They kept going with the story, repeating the details of the crazy mailbox search with obvious glee. Unintentionally, I yawned, clapping my hand over my mouth.

Suddenly beside me, I heard Edward cough loudly and something fell in my lap. I looked down to see a crumpled-up paper napkin. I looked at him uncertainly. _Open it_, he mouthed, putting his hand over his mouth to hide from Jessica and Eric.

I smoothed it out. In blue pen, he had written, _Feel like getting out of here for a bit?_

I looked up and smiled, nodding. He grabbed the napkin, scribbled on it again and tossed it back to me. It read: _I'll go, then wait a couple minutes and you go too._

_Where?_ I mouthed at him. He pointed up.

I smiled again. A few minutes later, he excused himself from the table, and I followed.

"Hey," he said as I climbed up. "This feels familiar."

He stood in the small meadow at the back of the school, in the same place he was standing when I first visited it all those years ago. Climbing up to him, it felt like I was walking back into the past, wrapped in the memory of being new to school and in love for the first time. But my body instinctively knew that time was long gone, leaving me both intensely excited and extremely nervous as I approached him.

"Wow, it's like a jungle up here," I said, smiling. I came around and put my hands on the railing next to his. My heart seemed to be speeding up.

He laughed. "Yeah, just like that dinner down there." He looked at me straight on. "OK, seriously though. Didn't you want to die every time Jessica opened her mouth?"

I laughed, feeling some of my nervous tension disappear. "Yeah, that girl sure has a lot of stories to tell. A total change from high school, that's for sure."

Edward put his hand over his face. "Oh man, I knew it. I felt like I couldn't get a word in edgewise. And Eric too. Oh God." He dropped the hand and looked at me. "Remind me to find out who arranged the seating plan so I can kill them later."

"Cope, probably. She knew all the couples from our year." I grinned, feeling even more at home. He seemed just like the same old Edward. "And I know you could probably take her if you tried real hard."

He laughed, nudging me with his elbow as he looked away. Smiling, I leaned on the back a tree trunk beside him and looked around, which seemed to now have more plants than I remembered. I spotted the old bench in the corner and motioned to Edward that I was going to sit down. He came with me, sitting slightly sideways to look at me while I leaned back next to him. The evening air between us felt electrified.

"So, 28, huh." He grinned. "That's crazy. You really don't look it."

I smiled. "Neither do you," I said sincerely. "Really. You look great."

"Yeah, well… so do you." He seemed to blush, and he ducked his head, scratching his neck and looking away for a minute. I couldn't help but smile.

"So I never got a chance to find out about you earlier," I said, cocking my head at him teasingly. "What are you up to lately, Edward?"

"Ah." He looked slightly sheepish. "I'm a freelance pianist." He shrugged. "I know, I know, it's not like me. But I really like it. I work with many artists on a contract basis." He laughed. "Yeah, not where I saw myself in high school either."

"Wow," I said, smiling at him. "So our Baseball star traded the base for the keys."

"Yeah." He sat back next to me companionably, his shoulder suddenly touching mine and sending a charge through me. "Well. I was a good baseball player but never anything that special out of high school. So music was really what I focused on during college when I got that baseball scholarship." He nudged my side. "I was lucky. I knew what I wanted to study and it all worked out well. You really helped with that."

"I did?"

"Yeah." He grinned. "During high school, hanging out with you… I discovered music was my thing, you know. Writing that lullaby for you just made me realize what I really wanted to do."

"That's crazy." I felt fuzzy again and looked away. "It's so long ago. I can't believe I had any kind of influence on your career choice."

"Well," he said. "I think you did, anyway. I always feel like I owe you a commission or something from whatever I earn."

I laughed. "Hey, I'll take it," I said. "I'm not exactly putting away the cash at my job. Alice actually bought my ticket to come out here. Although I don't think it cost her that much - it took a million hours and I'm pretty sure we were just a step above riding in cargo."

But suddenly he was looking at me, curious. "Really? You're not making that much?"

Oh man. Why did I say that? "No. Not really," I said, embarrassed.

He folded his arms and shifted in his seat next to me. "Sorry. I'm not trying to judge. I mean, I guess it's just fine. I just… always figured you for one of those super high-end lab journalist-types. You know, secretly running the world while the rest of us just twiddled our thumbs."

My cheeks burned. That's what everybody thought. "Nah. I work at a magazine now."

"A magazine?"

"It's a magazine called _write_," I said. "It's a bit different. I guess you'd call it 'hip' or 'edgy' or something. The title's all in lowercase. Not exactly Literature American." I crossed my legs, suddenly uncomfortable. "I don't know. I wasn't really happy with my grad work, so I thought it would be a nice break before I figured out my next move."

"And… is it?"

He caught me off-guard. No one had ever asked me that before. A weird rush of emotion suddenly spread through me, tears even pricking my eyes as I answered. "Actually… no. I don't think I really like it."

"Oh." He sounded really disappointed for me.

"Yeah… I know." I blinked back the tears and looked away. Suddenly my mouth opened again. "I don't know. Sometimes I feel kind of like my life got away from me, you know? Like I had the keys to the world… but I forgot where I parked it."

I didn't know why I kept telling him all this. Only that he seemed to be really listening. And somehow, with him I felt… good. Like I didn't have to pretend anymore.

Then unexpectedly, I felt his arm curve around my shoulders, pulling me toward him tentatively. I rested my head on his shoulder and felt suddenly better. "Ahhh. That really sucks, love." He paused, careful. "I'm really sorry. I always wanted to see you happy at whatever you were doing. But I guess we all get confused sometimes. And I mean… it's not wrong."

I sighed. "You know, I just really, really wish life had a user's manual."

"Well… I guess you've got to write your own as you go along."

"As if that's not the most ass-backward process ever," I said, exasperated, and suddenly he laughed hard, as if surprised. It sent a warm vibration through me, and oddly, I didn't feel sad at all anymore.

"This is going to sound dumb—but I'd forgotten how funny you could be," he said.

"Thank you," I said, grinning. "My misery amuses you. I'm glad."

"Bella," he laughed. "Sorry. That was dumb of me to say. I kind of meant it as a good thing. I wasn't exactly looking forward to this reunion… so I'm really enjoying the fact that I've got a friend here and she's got a great sense of humor."

Then suddenly, there was an awkward pause. He moved his arm slightly, resting it more on the top edge of the bench rather than my shoulders. "So Swan, what about the rest of your life?" He caught himself. "I mean… is it still even Swan? I guess I've just been assuming. But do you have a family, or anything right now?"

Ah. The big question.

"No family that I'm aware of," I said. "And really… not much else right now." I shrugged. "I don't know what my excuse is. I've had steady boyfriends, but no one at the moment. I have been on a lot of bad dates recently though, so it's not like I haven't been trying. Just that I haven't been… succeeding."

"Right," he said. His body seemed to relax slightly. I elbowed him playfully.

"And what about you?" I said, pretending to sound blithe. I braced myself for the inevitable disappointment. "Did you leave the wife and kids at home this time around?"

But oddly… he laughed. "Ahhh, my parents only wish. No. Strangely enough… I think I'm in the same boat as you." He rubbed the back of his neck absently and let out a breath. "I broke up with my college girlfriend a couple years ago. I haven't seemed to find anyone else yet. Been on a lot of bad dates though. A _lot_."

I looked over at him abruptly. "So…"

He looked back at me, grinning. "So yeah. It looks like we're the lonely hearts club this weekend, Swan."

He laughed, then suddenly his arm was around me again, pulling me closer to his side than before. And as if an instinct had been triggered, my arm wrapped across his stomach, flashing back to how we used to sit when we watched TV together way back when. It all felt warm, comfortable, and completely… right.

And we sat there like that for a few moments until a sound came from down and we jumped apart. Standing up quickly, I saw Riley's curly head pop up, his wife's hand clasped firmly in his. "You're going to love this roof…"

He trailed off as he saw us. "Hey Edward, Isabella. Nice night to be up here."

"Yeah," said Edward, shooting me a look as he grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the stairs. "Brings back a lot of memories, Riles. Thanks. Thanks a lot."

* * *

_A/n:Not all high school couples last and not everyone ends up rich and successful, just being a bit realistic._


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: SM owns Twilight. weknowit (lol)**

THIS FIC IS RATED **M**. THERE WILL BE **SOME ADULT ****CONTENT **IN THIS STORY.

**Chapter 4 – The Return**

* * *

Getting into the car, Alice let out a huge breath.

"Oh my God," she said as I pulled out of the parking lot. "You were so lucky not to be at my table. I can't believe how boring Mike got. All he talked about was Forks real estate prices and basement remodeling ideas for the entire night."

I laughed. "I don't know, that sounds right up your alley."

"Oh, of course." She rolled her eyes. "I don't know how he got his wife to marry him. Maybe deep down inside, she gets really turned on by home renovations."

"Or maybe she's just been hired for the reunion."

Alice caught her breath. "Wow-you might be onto something there."

"Alice, come on." We hit a stoplight and I looked at her. "He wouldn't seriously hire somebody just to pretend he had a life."

"Or would he?" Alice's eyes flashed as we started moving again. "Maybe I'll ask her some questions at the reunion picnic tomorrow. See what she's all about."

Suddenly she looked at me slyly. "Hey… and I've got some questions for you while I'm at it. What was with you and Edward tonight? I know I gave you a nudge earlier, but I saw you two disappear in the middle of dinner. Don't tell me there's nothing going on there."

"Ahh, we were just getting away from Jessica and Eric," I said, keeping my eyes on the road. "Those two got a bit much after awhile. We went out onto the meadow and talked a little. Nothing happened."

But Alice folded her arms and looked at me teasingly. "Yeah, right, Bella. I know you. And I saw you two hugging before we left as well. If something hasn't happened yet, it probably will soon." She paused for a minute. "So does he have a wife and kids after all?"

I turned the corner to her parents' house. "Actually, he doesn't."

She laughed, getting out of the car. "Then forget probably. Something definitely will happen between you two." She waved. "Have a good night."

But hard as I tried that night, I couldn't fall asleep. I felt strange being back in my old bedroom after years of being away. What made it weirder was that Dad had left it basically untouched from the day I left for college, though in cleaner condition. My photos and posters were still pinned to the wall, and my bed was still covered in the same purple sheets. I felt like I was dislocated in time, like I had suddenly dropped back into my life in high school… except that I wasn't that person anymore.

I tried to block it out. I turned in bed and hugged my pillow, thinking about Edward. The hug at the end of the night had sent a real thrill through me. I had said goodbye and he had gotten out of his chair to tell me how great it was to see me again. Then we stood grinning like idiots until finally he reached over and put his arms around me. Maybe it was just the high school memories flowing over me, but I hadn't met anyone I felt this attracted to in a long time.

I closed my eyes, almost chasing the edges of sleep down as I thought about Edward. Then suddenly, I heard a soft tap on my window and froze.

My heart sped up. Dad had always been paranoid that the window encouraged would-be intruders or rapists to break in. He never wanted me to have this bedroom, but I got it after begging. And I'd never had a problem… until now.

I hid under the covers further, trying to plan out what to do next. Could I get to my phone in time to dial 911? Was there even a phone still in this room? Was my old tennis racket heavy enough to knock someone out? Should I make a break for it?

But suddenly I heard a soft whisper. "Pssst… Gabriella."

I pushed the covers off my head, recognizing the voice. Getting out of bed, I went over to the door and saw Edward from the tree there on the balcony, smiling at me. I grinned back, clicking the lock open and letting him in.

"Hey," he said, brushing a few leaves out of his hair and grinning. My heart started to beat faster. He looked ridiculously good in faded jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt. "Thanks for letting me in. And for not calling the cops."

"You're lucky, cause I was just about to," I said, sitting on the bed. "What are you doing here?"

He sat down beside me. "Well, I couldn't sleep. And… I remembered this is one of things I used to do during high school when that happened." He laughed sheepishly. "I thought since this was during our high school reunion, I'd try it again, see if it worked."

I blushed, suddenly remembering. But he was looking around the room again. "Wow, things haven't changed in here at all."

"Don't I know it," I said. "I couldn't sleep either, being in a room like this. It's kind of creepy."

"I know exactly what you mean," he said. "My room is like a shrine to the high school Edward. Baseball everywhere. I feel like I'm being suffocated by the past… or as if I'm haunting it from the future."

I hit him on the arm, incredulous. "That's exactly how I feel about it. Exactly."

He laughed, crawling back onto the bed and settling back on my pillows. "And you know, they didn't mention that in the reunion invitation. Otherwise I might have thought twice about coming back."

I smiled, climbing over and sitting near his left side. He let out a breath and looked over at me. "Man, this really brings back memories."

"Hey, you want memories?" I switched my lamp on, grabbed the 2003 yearbook off my nightstand and slapped it onto his chest. "I found this on my bookcase. Check it out."

He flipped through the pages and sat up, moving close to me so we could both see it. "Wow… now that's a blast from the past," he said. He was looking at a photo of me, Edward and our friends after the baseball championships the first year I arrived. "That dress looked great on you, by the way," he said, elbowing me slyly.

I felt warm again and elbowed him back. "Check out that one," I said, as he flipped to a picture of me and Rosalie in our prom dresses. "Rose looks really pissed." Considering she had worn the same outfit as someone else, I couldn't blame her. But she still had her arm around me in a forced gesture of friendship.

Then I stopped suddenly. I realized he had turned to a photo of us from the end of junior year. It was a close up of us together, his arms around me and both of us smiling. We looked immensely happy. I felt the air in the room suddenly become hard to breathe.

I had to do something. I tried to flip to the next page and cut it off somehow, but the way Edward was holding the book, I couldn't reach for the page on the right. I had to lean toward him slightly, reaching my arm around behind his neck to touch the page with my fingertips. But as I reached, I felt his body sort of shudder at the touch of my arm. And then he closed the book gently, turned his face toward mine, and kissed me on the mouth.

His lips were so soft. I closed my eyes and melted into the kiss. I felt his body twist toward me slightly, and his hand pressed lightly against my back. When we finally broke apart, I felt breathless.

I looked at him and he was smiling.

"Here," he said, and slid us down to lie on our sides. He put his arm around my waist and held me close, just like he used to years ago. I smiled and slipped my hand between his arm and his side, holding tight to his upper back. He grinned at me.

"This is dumb, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since I saw you at the airport this morning," he said.

"Me neither," I breathed. "I've been thinking about you all day."

He laughed. "I can't tell if it's you now, or just us both being at this reunion and stepping back into our high school lives. But I feel like I'm seventeen again around you. I mean… I really, really liked you then."

"Me too," I said, partly distracted by the feeling of his hand on the small of my back, his thumb stroking up and down slightly. Every touch sent small charges of electricity surging through me. I smiled at him. "And you know, all I can remember is good things. I mean, I'm sure we fought over something… but somehow my memory's deleted all of them."

"Or maybe there just weren't that many bad times," he said. "I mean, besides that one misunderstanding when Ali and Em got involved… I can't even think of anything bad that happened between us. I keep remembering us being good together. Having a great time." His smile turned teasing. "Especially here in this room, like this."

I laughed, feeling myself blush again. "Yeah… we sure did a lot in here."

He laughed softly. "Ah, Bella. What happened to us? If it was all so great, how did we fall apart?"

"I don't know," I said truthfully. "Maybe it was just timing. We were so far away from each other, and we were just starting to figure ourselves out. I think we kind of got lost in different worlds." I shrugged. "And at least it wasn't a painful breakup. Just kind of a... slow drift."

"I guess," he said. Then he let out a breath and laughed. "I don't know, but being with you here now makes me think that was a really stupid move."

I laughed and he held me closer, waves of laughter coursing through both of us. Pressed against him, it seemed as though my body fit perfectly into his. Smiling, I pulled back and looked at him.

"Well, let's be careful," I said, trying to be practical. "Like you said, maybe it's all just reunion fever. Us idealizing this relationship. And you know, it's only been one day."

But his hand had found its way under my tank top, moving up and down over my side in slow, teasing strokes. And I was still holding him just as close as before. I looked at him and his eyes were warm, inviting. And then before I knew it I had wrapped my arm around his neck and pulled him in for another kiss.

This time it was more intense. I found myself kissing him deeper and deeper, and felt his tongue moving hungrily into my mouth as we kept going. His hand slid up and down my back, lifting up into my hair, and then suddenly, both arms were around my waist, encircling it tight and pulling me even closer to him.

Suddenly I broke free. "Do you have anything…"

He blushed. "Well, my last checkup said I was fine in that area…"

"Well, great, but that's not what I meant." I smiled. "I meant… like protection."

"Oh," he said. His shoulders slumped. "I guess… not. I didn't think…"

Inadvertently, my head slumped down too. "Damn… well, I guess we can't..."

"Didn't we use to keep some here?" He looked hopeful.

I pushed the back of his head gently. "Edward. Those are probably 10 years old by now."

"Oh." He started to laugh, moving his arms up higher on my back and holding me tight. He grinned at me. "Sorry. I guess I tried. But you never used to be this easy to get into bed."

I turned slightly red and laughed sheepishly. "I'm not usually… I just couldn't help it tonight." I slid my arm under his shirt, feeling the strong muscles of his back ripple beneath my hand. "You being here and all. After all those years. Looking so cute."

He grinned and kissed my cheek. "Ha."

"Tell you what though," I said, running my hand along his side. "Since it is our high school reunion, we should just do something high school right now."

"Completely unprotected sex?"

"No," I said, laughing and pinching him. "Make out."

"Make out." He laughed, starting to kiss my neck. "OK. I can get behind that."

I sighed as his lips trailed down to my collarbone. "Just... don't spread it around at school that I let you get to second base on our first time."

"Tell _you _what," he said, kissing the hollow between my breasts. "I'll tell them we only went to second if we make it to third."

"Oh…" But his hand had already started shifting deliciously downward, following the curve of my backside as his tongue moved smoothly over my skin. I shivered, then sighed again. "OK, Cullen. You win."

* * *

_OK, that was the first time I've ever written a scene like that… your reviews on this one will be definitely appreciated!_


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